The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based booklist
available as an online-only Bulletin feature. Since we're awfully
fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt their
philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them
to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download,
or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months.

The review staff at the Bulletin couldn't help but notice the recent explosion of picture books focusing on the tender relationship of father and young daughter. From the humorously dramatic Daddy Mountain to the devoted Because Your Daddy Loves You , it is a great time to be daddy's little girl. Join us in celebrating Father's Day with this Dozens list of picture books, both old and new, celebrating daddies and daughters.

Clements, Andrew. Because Your Daddy Loves You; illus. by R.W. Alley. Clarion, 2005. 3-5 yrs There are all kinds of wrong things Daddy could say (like “You should put things where they belong”), but in this mop-headed little girl's world, Daddy always says and does the perfect thing. (BCCB 6/05)

Coy, John. Two Old Potatoes and Me; illus. by Carolyn Fisher. Knopf, 2003. 5-8 yrs A little girl learns to adjust to her parents' separation the summer that she and her father spend planting potatoes in the garden. (BCCB 10/03)

Feiffer, Jules. The Daddy Mountain ; written and illus. by Jules Feiffer. di Capua/HarperCollins, 2004. 2-4 yrs This brave little mountaineer is unwavering in her determination to mount the peaks of Daddy Mountain , offering young listeners a play-by-play of the challenges standing between her and success. (BCCB 5/04)

George, Kristine O'Connell. Up!; illus. by Hiroe Nakata. Clarion, 2005. 3-5 yrs This story's exuberant protagonist bounces Daddy literally up out of bed and off for a day filled with playful adventures and time together. (BCCB 5/05)

Johnson, Dolores. Papa's Stories; written and illus. by Dolores Johnson. Macmillan, 1994. 5-8 yrs In this tenderly told tale, an illiterate father “reads” to his daughter every evening from the same book that never contains the same story. (BCCB 7/94)

Spinelli, Eileen. Night Shift Daddy; illus. by Melissa Iwai. Hyperion, 2000. 3-6 yrs Daddy puts his daughter to bed before slipping out to work; when he returns at dawn, she reverses the ritual, wishing him sweet dreams before going out to play. (BCCB 6/00)

Willems , Mo. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale; written and illus. by Mo Willems. Hyperion, 2004. 2-6 yrs When Trixie's stuffed bunny gets lost at the laundromat, heroic Daddy spots him in the spin cycle and saves the day. (BCCB 10/04)

Woodson, Jacqueline. Visiting Day; illus. by James E. Ransome. Scholastic, 2002. 5-8 yrs A little girl's monthly visits to her father in prison are infused with longing and hope for her daddy's return home. (BCCB 12/02)